While HTC still makes headlines in the smartphone market, and lately gaming too, these days, most of them haven’t really been positive. It almost seems as if the Taiwanese manufacturer’s glory days are over but, of course, that won’t stop it from trying to get that back. Perhaps inspired by the success, or at least popularity, of China’s Huawei and its Nexus 6P, HTC is rumored to be getting back into the Nexus game. More than that, it might actually be jumping in head first with two, yes two, Nexus smartphones later this year.

HTC actually holds the title of having made the first ever Nexus device, theNexus One smartphone (not to be confused with the new Nexus One program), way back in 2010. Ever since then, however, Google and HTC did not partner for any other smartphone, only teaming up once more in 2014 for the Nexus 9 tablet. Google usually rotates around its OEM partners but, it does seem to both stick to a particular favorite, like LG, and, at the same time, dare to risk new ones, like Huawei.

The Nexus 6P meant a lot for Huawei, at least in boosting its image in the Western market. Although it is not a totally alien name, Huawei’s presence in the US particularly has not been that large. The prestige of having made one of Google’s smartphones helped put Huawei in a more prominent spot in the global market.

If there’s any major OEM that needs such a boost, it would HTC. The company has failed to recapture the hearts of smartphone users after its popular One (M7) flagship. And while the mid-range One A9 has received more or less positive feedback, it is far from being a flagship killer.

A Nexus smartphone could help prove that HTC still has what it takes to be a leader in that market. Rumors say that LG will make both a 5.0 and 5.5 inch models, which, if true, would mean it would also be eating into LG’s pie. That said, a Nexus smartphone does have a different set of requirements and design considerations from that of a more “sensational” flagship like, say, a Samsung Galaxy S or an LG G series. It will be interesting to see if HTC will be able to finally get the opportunity it needs to break its fall.